I like to not have giant blackheads.

So I use a face mask once a week or so to clean out my pores and try to curtail any breakouts. I used to get a Desert Clay mask at Garden Botanika that I loved. After it was dry, I could see all the oil it had blotted out of my pores right there in little polka dots on my nose and cheeks.

Tonight, I tried a new one--Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask. It's got great word-of-mouth, so I thought I'd give it a try, since it cost $3.29 instead of the $15-$20 I usually pay. It was nice and tingly, which I like, because that makes me feel like it is working. The minty smell was very pleasant--Harley thought so, too, and it was kind of hard to keep him from rubbing up against my face while I was waiting for it to dry. My pores look nice and clean, and it wasn't too hard to rinse off.

Here are some others I've tried since I used up the last of my Garden Botanika stockpile:

Bath and Body Works' Pumpkin mask. I can't find it on the website, so maybe they don't make it anymore. It has the appearance, smell, and consistency of canned pumpkin pie filling. It's a too little mild for me and it takes for-freaking-ever to dry.

Jaqua Pumpkin Papaya Pure Enzyme Face Mask I really liked this one. It smelled great--pumpkiny and spicy, and worked well. Not tingly, but it made my skin feel nice and soft in addition to clearer. Also takes a long time to dry, but smells so good I don't really care.

Body Shop Natural Oceanic Clay Ionic Mask Okay, this worked fine, but imagine putting dark green tempera paint all over your face, and then trying to wash it off in your bathroom sink. I can't believe I spent $18 to stain a bunch of my washcloths and have to clean my sink out every time I used this.

Freeman Peel-off Cucumber Mask Peel off masks sound like a lot more fun than they actually are. I was always picking cucumber scented mask boogers out of my hairline.